Widely held as two of Australia's most outstanding live acts, The Cat Empire and Xavier Rudd will hit the highways together for the first time in January and February 2017 for a series of unique concert events to be held in picturesque open-air settings.

Music fans will be treated as The Cat Empire & Xavier Rudd, along with Harts, Ocean Alley and Sahara Beck, perform under the stars on what will be, a magical summer evening.

Headline act Troy Cassar-Daley did not disappoint at the 2016 Urban Country Music Festival on Saturday, April 30. Photo Kyle Zenchyson / Caboolture NewsKyle Zenchyson

With a career spanning 26 years that has produced nine studio albums with multiple Gold and Platinum sales achievements, four ARIA Awards, 32 Golden Guitars, two APRA Song of the Year Awards, nine Deadlys, four CMAA Entertainer of the Year Awards and the 2008 Country Music Association of America Country Music Global Artists Award, makes Troy Cassar-Daley one of Australia's most awarded and highly regarded singer/songwriters in country music.

Things I Carry Around, his latest release, was launched last August via Liberation Music.

In Things I Carry Around (the book), Troy writes candidly and with humour about the early days, his rise to the top of the country music scene and the people and places that have shaped his path, revealing a fierce attachment to his family and his indigenous heritage.

A hard-working, fun-loving and prodigiously talented youngster, Troy grew into the role of country music superstar with charm and humility - and along the way met the woman who stole his heart.

Lismore Laughs is the very first event in NORPA's busy 2017 calendar, and let's just say the year starts for NORPA with a strong laugh.

Australian comedian Andy Saunders.Contributed

Comedy heavywheights Tom Gleeson (Hard Chat), Andy Saunders (Melbourne Comedy Festival) and Noodlenut, the latest children's show by Frank Woodley, will be performing in Lismore in a weekend of non-stop fun.

Australian comedian Frank Woodley will bring his show Noodlenut to NORPA as part of the Lismore Laughs program in 2017.Ben King

The daughter of folk legends Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III, Martha's immersion in music from an early age is evident in her command of the stage and her masterful handling of a spectrum of musical styles.

The performance will showcase her fifth record, Goodnight City, which just may her best yet. The album features her own work, alongside songs written by her brother Rufus Wainwright and friends such as Beth Orton, Glen Hansard, Michael Ondaatje and Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs.

NORPA has teamed up with gaynor Crawford and Chugg Entertainment for this unique show to come to the Northern Rivers.